The Feudal Era Alchemists
by animegirl611
Summary: Edward and Alphonse Elric stumble upon the ancient boneeaters well and accidentally fall inside. Next thing they know they are in the feudal era fighting alongside Inuyasha and his companions. Now they must search for a way to get back home...
1. Down the Well

Chapter I

Down the Well

"Did we lose em'," Ed asked while trying to catch his breath.

"I think so," Al replied as he took a quick glance around the area. He couldn't see anybody or anything except for the run down buildings of Ishbal. Then, out of nowhere, a bullet was ricocheted off of Al's armor.

"Apparently not," replied Ed as he turned towards the direction of the gunshot. Frank Archer, the Lieutenant Colonel who replaced Brigadier General Hughes, was standing opposite of them with about thirty military troops.

"Edward Elric, we demand that you turn yourself over to the military immediately," he ordered.

"And why would I want to do a stupid thing like that!" Ed shot back his temper flaring. Archer suddenly burst out in laughter. Just the sound of his laugh gave Ed the chills. It held no emotion and appeared to frighten even Archer's own troops.

"Come now Edward, have you already forgotten that you're wanted all across central," Archer said still holding an icy smile, "Besides, the Fuhrer only wants to discuss what happened in Liore. After all, Scar was spotted at the scene and one of our high ranking officers was brutally murdered."

"Stop hiding behind that crap!" Ed yelled, "You were there! You were right next to me! You could just as easily tell him yourself!" Archer glared at him, his eyes narrow and full of hatred.

"What's wrong Lieutenant?" Ed asked lowly, "Did I strike a nerve?" Archer's anger suddenly subsided.

"Edward, why do you show so much hostility towards your own comrade," Archer replied, "Especially since the Fuhrer only wishes to speak with you. And why do you refuse his request when you clearly claim you have nothing to hide? That is unless you really do have something to hide."

"I have nothing to tell you bastards!" Ed shouted.

"Well, I'd really hoped it wouldn't come to this," Archer said hanging his head low. Ed and Al looked at him intently both unaware of what his next move was.

"FIRE!" Archer yelled as he raised a pointed finger towards the two. Ed and Al both gasped. Neither of them thought that Archer would go that far. But unfortunately for them, the troops obeyed their ranking officer and shot their bullets straight at them.

Ed quickly clapped his hands together and smacked the ground. Large blue sparks flew as a giant rock wall appeared in front of Ed and Al just in time.

"That was close," Al said.

"Yeah no kidding," Ed agreed, "Now let's get out of here before that wall collapses." Al nodded and then both of them set off at a sprint. Moments later, the wall shattered causing a small pack of dust to scatter around the troops. Archer quickly searched through the dust to see them running a little ways away.

"There! After them!" Archer shouted, "I want both of those boys. Dead or alive!" The troops ran off at full speed, guns loaded, and Archer following behind them. Ed quickly turned his head back to look at the distance between them. They were catching up, and fast.

"Come on Al!" Ed yelled as he ran past his brother, "We have to pick up the pace!"

"Right," Al replied as he quickly caught up. They continued running for quite some time until they saw ruins of an old temple up ahead. Ed looked over at Al and gave him a small smirk as if telling him to do something. Al caught his intention. As they approached the ruined building they ran inside. The military followed them inside but when they entered the boys were no where to be found.

Archer pushed away all of the mobbing troops as he made his way to the front of them. "Damn it. Where did they run off to?" Archer questioned himself. "Alright troops! Search the entire premises! I want them found!" he ordered as the troops split up and ran in various directions.

Meanwhile, Ed and Al were hiding down in an underground tunnel that was just left of the entrance. Thankfully Archer hadn't noticed it seeing how the entrance was just a small dirt hole in the worn down temple.

"Brother?" Al asked in a whisper, "How did you know this tunnel was here?"

"This is the same tunnel Lyra, Rose, and I used to get out of Liore," Ed explained, "See?" Ed pointed towards the right to show a path already leading up to where they were.

"You mean this tunnel leads all the way to Liore?" Al questioned.

"Yup," Ed replied, "And we used it to escape to Ishbal. After that Lyra and Rose left with the other refugees."

"What's this?" Al asked as he pointed to something to the left. Ed turned away from the pathway to where Al was pointing. It appeared to be a large metal wall.

"I…don't..know…," Ed trailed off, "I didn't see this before."

"I wonder what's behind it," Al said as he searched for a lever or someway to open the wall.

"Let me try," Ed said as he approached the wall. Ed clapped his hands together and then placed them on the wall. Again blue sparks flew and the wall was configured into an archway. Both Ed and Al walked through the archway to find an amazing sight. There was a whole other tunnel only this one was lit with small torches hanging on the walls.

"This is weird," Ed said, "Really weird."

"I wonder where the tunnel leads," Al replied.

"Well, there's one way to find out," Ed answered as they began walking down the tunnel. Then suddenly, the archway began releasing several blue sparks as it reverted back into a metal wall. Both brothers turned around and gasped. How could the wall revert back?

"Don't worry Al," Ed said trying to sound like it wasn't a big deal, "I can fix it, no problem." Though trying to sound confident, Ed had a bad feeling about their current situation. He approached the wall, clapped his hands together, and touched the wall. But, instead of the wall transforming, pink sparks flew off the wall and nothing happened.

But Ed didn't give up that easily, he repeatedly used his alchemy to try to change it back. "Brother…" Al trailed off.

"No Al, don't worry," Ed tried to reassure him, "I can do it." Ed kept trying and trying, but still nothing happened. 'Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!!!" Ed shouted as he pounded the wall with his fists.

"Brother," Al replied as he put a hand on Ed's shoulder, "It's okay, we'll find another way out." Ed stood up and nodded as he said, "Yeah let's get moving," and started walking.

"Wait for me!" shrieked Al as he ran to catch up.

"What's the matter Al, you scared or something," Ed teased.

"No, of course not!" Al replied shakily.

"Right….," Ed said sarcastically as he shot Al a disbelieving smirk, and they continued walking.

After a long moment of silence Al decided to bring in conversation. "Hey Ed?" Al questioned quietly.

"Yeah?" Ed replied as he looked up at his brother.

"Do you think that Dad's alright?" he asked. Ed gave him a shocked looked. He had forgotten about how their father had disappeared again.

"I don't know Al," Ed admitted, "With him having some connection to the homunculi it's hard to say." Al didn't say anything but had a sad look about him.

"Everything okay?" Ed asked with concern.

"Yeah," Al answered, "It's just that ever since we left Tucker's warehouse, I've been wondering why he left. I still had so much to ask him, and…I wanted to get to know him better."

"That's just it Al," Ed said harshly as he stopped walking, "He left because he doesn't care! He never did!"

"Brother," Al replied, "Despite what you think, I still believe that Dad cares about us." Ed's face expression showed that he disagreed. "All I'm saying is that if he didn't care about us, then why did he come back in the first place?" Al finished and began walking again. Ed's serious face soon left to be replaced with a calm saddened expression.

They continued walking for quite some time, neither of them breaking the silence until Ed knew what he needed say.

"Hey Al?" Ed said quietly as Al turned to face him, "I'm sorry about what I said."

"It's okay," Al replied, "Let's keep going." Ed agreed as they continued, but the tunnel just kept going and going.

Ed suddenly stopped walking and let out an annoyed sigh. "Al, I'm beginning to think this tunnel's never gonna end," he complained.

"Come on," Al urged, "Let's go just a little farther."

"Alright, alright," Ed unhappily agreed, "I just hope going back will be quicker than it was going in." Soon after, they finally reached the end of the tunnel. And at the end of the tunnel stood something neither of them expected to see. It was an old wooden well. And behind that nothing.

"WHAT?!" Ed exclaimed, "YOU MEAN WE CAME ALL THE WAY DOWN HERE FOR A STUPID WELL!"

"I don't get it," Al replied as he walked towards the rim, "Why would someone put a well all the way down here?"

"And a dried-up well at that," Ed said as he and Al looked inside of it. Both of them stared into the well for a few moments before Ed broke the silence.

"Well, we might as well go back and try to find another way out," he suggested.

"Yeah," Al agreed as he turned away from the well. Just as they started walking away, all of the torches went out leaving Ed and Al in darkness.

"What the hell?!" Ed shouted in shock

"What's going on?" Al asked.

"I don't know," Ed admitted as he searched his pocket for a source of light. He soon found a small match in his pocket, which he quickly scrapped against the side of the tunnel wall and lit.

"Al, are you okay?" Ed asked as he moved the lit match towards where his brother was standing. Al nodded his head. Ed quickly lit one of the torches with his match to create more light. Ed looked around suspiciously.

"Brother, maybe the wind just blew them out," Al suggested hoping that was the case.

"Come on Al, we're in an underground tunnel! Where is wind going to come from?" Ed pointed out.

"I don't know!" Al exclaimed, "I was only suggesting the possibilities!"

"Well never mind that!" Ed replied sounding annoyed, "Let's just try to find a way out of here." Al nodded as Ed picked up the lit torch in his hand. As they again began to walk away, Ed heard a strange noise coming from behind him. He turned around sharply, but nothing was there.

"Something wrong Brother?' Al asked.

"Did you hear that?" Ed replied as he walked back over to the well and peeked inside.

"Hear what?" Al questioned shakily. "Oh, ha ha, very funny," Al said, "You're just trying to scare me."

"What are you talking about Al!" Ed exclaimed, "I'm serious." Ed searched the bottom of the well with the torch in hand. Below he saw a pile of bones, that didn't look human. Al walked up next to him and looked in too.

"Those bones," Al commented, "They weren't there before."

"I know," Ed said, "I'm going to check it out." Ed then flew himself over the rim and landed on his feet at the base.

"No Brother," Al warned, "Come back. Something isn't right." But Ed didn't listen to him, he just crouched down and examined the bones.

"These bones are defiantly not human," Ed replied, "But they're not from an animal either." Ed sighed. "Oh well, Al help me back up."

Al leaned over the rim and reached his armored arm down. Ed reached up and grabbed his hand as Al pulled him up. Suddenly, as Al was pulling Ed up to the rim, Ed felt his watch begin pulling down towards the well.

"What the-," Ed looked at his watch as it pulled downwards preventing Al from bringing Ed up. Seconds later, the watch pulled itself from his waist and landed with a thud at the bottom of the well.

"My watch!" Ed exclaimed as he looked down at it.

"Ed, just forget about it," Al said trying to pull Ed up again.

"No way!" Ed replied as he let go of Al's hand and dropped to the bottom. Ed picked it up and looked it over. "Stupid thing," Ed said as he reattached it to his belt, "Wonder how it came off?"

Al just sighed and replied, "Ok, now come back up." Just as Ed reached to grab his brother's hand, his feet sunk into the ground.

"Huh?" Ed looked down to see himself start sinking into a blue void. "Al hurry! Pull me up!" he shouted now panicking and rapidly reaching for Al. Unfortunately Ed had already sunk too far into the well.

"Brother hang on!" Al shouted as he reached farther in, but by doing so lost his footing and fell in too.

Both Ed and Al were engulfed by the blue light and sucked down the well. Within seconds, neither of them could be seen inside the depths of the well.


	2. Welcome to the Feudal Era

Chapter II

Welcome to the Feudal Era

"What happened?" Al questioned as he stood up and checked his surroundings. He was still at the bottom of the well. Al looked down to see Ed lying unconscious on the ground. Al crouched down and began shaking Ed harshly.

"Brother, wake up," Al said as he continued to shake him. Ed grunted slightly and then opened his eyes. "Brother, are you okay?" Al asked helping him sit up.

"Yeah," Ed replied still sounding a little dazy, "But where are we exactly?"

"We're still at the bottom of the well," Al answered as Ed now stood and looked around. Unexpectedly, Ed hopped up at the walls and attempted to climb his way up, but a few moments later he slid back down. Angry, Ed didn't give up he just kept climbing and slipping back down.

"Brother," Al said, "I don't think that's going to work."

"Come on Al," Ed protested, "I'll get up, you'll see." Al sighed as Ed continued to jump up and slid down. After a few minutes of getting nothing accomplished, Ed gave up and sat on the ground angry and frustrated.

"Why don't you ever listen to me," Al joked.

"Okay you were right," Ed unhappily admitted, "Happy now?"

"I would be if we were out of here," Al replied.

"There's got to be another way out of this stupid thing," Ed said as he again surveyed they area. Ed kept looking until he saw some vines that were growing out of the well's walls. Ed gripped one firmly in his hand and then pulled hard on it. "Seems sturdy enough," Ed said to himself still pulling on the vines.

"What?" Al asked, looking at Ed with the vines in his hands.

"I think we can climb up these," Ed answered, "they seem like they'll support our weight." Ed then wrapped himself onto one and started to climb up to the rim. Seconds later Al followed his lead and began climbing up. When Ed reached the top he looked around, not to see the small black corridor, but instead the sun shining brightly over lots of grass and trees.

"Al, you better hurry up and come see this," Ed said, shock in his voice.

"What," Al replied as he grabbed the rim and pulled himself up. But there was no need for Ed to explain, Al could already tell what he was talking about just by looking. Ed hopped out of the well to get a better look at his surroundings. He then looked up at the sky. He noticed how much clearer the sky was here, and how much more of the sun could be felt in warmness.

"Al, look at the sky, it's so much more beautiful without all the smoke from war covering it up," Ed said still staring at the sky, his eyes fixed upon its beauty.

"Brother, look over there!" Al shouted as he pointed to the far right. Ed quickly turned around to look at what had caught his brother's attention. There he saw a girl laying unconscious on the ground. He and Al quickly ran over to her.

"Hey! Are you alright?" asked Ed as he held her in his arms.

"Inu...yasha," she answered weakly as she slightly opened her eyes. After opening her eyes completely she realized that it wasn't Inuyasha, but someone she had never met before. She quickly sat up, startling Ed and Al.

"Who are you?" she asked looking them over.

"Uh my name's Edward Elric," he replied.

"And I'm his younger brother, Alphonse," Al piped in, "Who are you?"

"My name is Kagome," she answered, "Sorry I startled you. I was afraid you were a demon." Ed and Al gave her confused expressions.

"What's wrong," Kagome asked, "Did I say something wrong?"

"Did you say demon?" Ed asked.

"Yes," Kagome replied, "What have you never heard of a demon before-" Kagome stopped herself as she realized. Their clothes were different, they were near the bone-eater's well, and they seemed to have never heard of a demon before. "You're from a different time aren't you?"

Ed and Al exchange glances. "Different time?" they asked in unison. Kagome sighed, knowing this would be hard for them to understand.

"You both fell inside the well, right?" Kagome asked. Both boys nodded, patiently awaiting the answer. "Well, when you fell inside did anything weird happen?"

"There was a bright blue light," Al answered as he remembered the blue lights that surrounded him and Ed as they fell.

"That blue light you saw, was a time stream," Kagome replied, "And, well, this is the feudal era." Both Ed and Al held wide eyed expressions.

"He he, that's funny," Ed said, "But really, where are we?"

"Brother, I don't think she was kidding," Al said as he looked at the seriousness in Kagome's face. Ed only stared, too shocked to say anything. Kagome didn't say anything either, she didn't know what to say.

"How is this possible?" Al asked lowly.

"There's this jewel called the Shikon Jewel, that allows the time stream to flow," Kagome explained, "It's kinda hard to explain." Ed and Al both sat quietly. "Don't worry, I was frightened when I first came here too," Kagome said, "But it's really not that bad."

"You mean, you're not from around here?" Al asked. Kagome shook her head.

"I live in modern day Japan," Kagome explained, "I was in my family shrine's well house looking for my cat when a demon called Mistress Centipede pulled me down the well."

"When did that happen?" Ed questioned.

"Hmm…let's see," Kagome answered, "It's almost been a year now."

"WHAAAT?!" Ed and Al both shouted. Kagome gave a surprised look.

"You mean you've been stuck here for a whole year?!" Ed exclaimed. Kagome started laughing. "Did I say something funny?" Ed asked Al as Kagome continued laughing. Al just shrugged.

"Of course I haven't been here the whole time," Kagome corrected, "I travel between my time and this time."

"You mean you just go back and forth whenever you want?" Al inquired, "But how?"

"I just use the well," Kagome answered.

"Alright then," Ed said as he dashed to the well and jumped in.

"No wait!" Kagome tried to warn, but it was too late. Moments later, Ed could be heard moaning in pain at the bottom of the well. Al and Kagome quickly ran over and looked in to see Ed laying face-down and covered in dirt.

"I take it we aren't getting home this way," Ed said lowly as he slowly stood up, his back aching.

"Why isn't it working," Al asked worriedly.

"I'm not sure, but maybe Kaede would know," Kagome suggested.

"Who's Kaede?" Al questioned as Ed climbed out.

"She's a priestess who lives in the village I was headed to before that demon attacked me," Kagome explained.

"So that's why you were unconscious when we found you," Al said. Kagome nodded.

"A large rat demon sent me flying into a tree with its tail," Kagome said, "Lucky for me, the rat ran off. Probably when you two came through the well. The light must have scared it off."

"So you travel here all the time by yourself?" Ed asked as he wiped the dirt from his pants, "Isn't that a little dangerous."

"No, not by myself," Kagome replied, "I have my friends Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo."

"So, where are your friends?" Al asked.

"They're at the village with Kaede," Kagome answered.

"Well, then I guess we should pay Kaede a visit," Ed replied, smiling.

"Okay then, let's get going," Kagome said cheerfully as she began walking.

They all started walking through the small clearing and continued to follow the path of the main road.

"So, do you think Kaede will know how to get us back home?" Ed asked.

"Well, she was able to help me, so probably," Kagome answered. Just as they were discussing this, they passed by an enormous tree with long and healthy branches.

"Wow!" Al exclaimed, "That tree is beautiful." Kagome stopped and looked at it.

"That's the Sacred Tree," Kagome explained, as she stared at it, now lost in thought.

'This is where I first met Inuyasha. I remember when I first saw him, how peaceful he looked.'

'_The Sacred Tree, that means I'm almost home,' Kagome thought as she ran through a thicket of bushes. As she entered the clearing where she thought her home would be, she was surprised to find something else in its place. There stood the Sacred Tree, but a boy was there too. He appeared to be sleeping yet he was bound to the tree with an arrow in his chest and roots wrapped around his body. "Is that a, boy?" she questioned herself as she walked up to him. "Hey there," Kagome tried to make conversation, but the boy continued to sleep. Kagome didn't try to speak to him again seeing as something else caught her attention. Atop of the boy's head sat two ears. 'Wow, they look like dog ears,' Kagome thought as she brought herself closer to them. 'I think I want to touch em' Kagome then placed her hands on his ears and began rubbing them._

"Uh…Kagome?" Ed questioned, shaking Kagome from her thoughts.

"Oh sorry," Kagome apologized, "This tree just bring backs a lot of memories."

"Memories, like what?" Al asked.

"Like when I very first came here and I met Inuyasha," she replied.

"You mean this is where you and he first met?" Al inquired as Kagome blushed slightly and nodded. This conversation caused everyone to stare at the tree.

"Let's keep moving then," Kagome said as she managed to pry her eyes from the tree. Ed and Al nodded their heads in agreement.

As they continued walking, Ed whispered over to Al, "I think Inuyasha and Kagome are more than just friends. What do you think?"

"Yeah," Al whispered back, "Just like two other people I know."

"Who?" Ed asked.

"You and Winry," Al said.

This small comment just about made Ed explode. "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!? THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING BETWEEN WINRY AND ME! IT'S JUST A "HI HOW ARE YOU" TYPE THING!" Ed shouted his face turning a crimson red. Kagome turned around and gave him a funny look.

"Who's Winry?" Kagome teased, a smile growing on her face.

"She's no one," Ed replied quickly as he lowered his head to hide his blushing, "Besides, what's the deal with you and this Inuyasha guy?"

Kagome got an alarmed face expression. "He-he-he's just my friend," Kagome blurted out now turning as red as Ed. Al suddenly burst out in laughter.

"What's so funny?!" Ed and Kagome both asked trying to sound angry.

"Look at your faces!" Al pointed out, "You two are so predictable." Al continued to laugh in spite of their faces turning redder. Ed and Kagome both looked at each other, and then joined Al in laughter.

"I guess we are just a bit predictable," Ed admitted, wiping the blush from his cheek."

"Yeah, I guess we are," Kagome agreed, "But please don't tell anyone."

"Don't worry we won't," Al promised. Kagome let out a sigh of relief.

"Well, we really need to get going, it's going to get dark soon," Kagome replied as she began walking. But then, Ed put a hand on her shoulder to get her attention. Kagome quickly turned around to see a large rat demon with purple fur and red eyes glaring down at them.

"Is that the rat demon?" Al asked shakily. Kagome slowly nodded her head in response. The rat continued to hiss at them through his sharp buck teeth. Everyone remained silent and still and until the rat lunged at them. Ed and Kagome ran out of the way just in time, but Al wasn't as lucky. The rat scratched him and sent his helmet right off his head. Then he smacked Al's body with his tail and whacked it next to the helmet.

"Al!" Ed and Kagome shouted. The rat now turned its gaze towards Kagome and Ed.

"Kagome, take care of Al, I'll keep the rat busy," Ed said, "Hey over here! Come and get me!" Ed began running while the rat gave chase. Kagome quickly ran over to Al and picked up his helmet.

"Al, are you okay-," Kagome started but stopped when she saw that there was no body in the large suit of armor. Kagome dropped the helmet and stared at him in shock.

"Please don't be scared Kagome," Al pleaded as he took the helmet from Kagome's arms and placed it on top of his shoulders, "It's just the way I am."

"But…you don't have a body, so how can you be alive," Kagome asked still slightly shocked.

"I'll explain later," Al answered as he stood up, "Just trust me for now."

Kagome nodded slowly and then grabbed her bow and arrows from inside her backpack. She then notched an arrow and aimed for the rat.

Ed, who was still stalling the rat, was suddenly swept off his feet as the rat whacked him with his tail and sent him skidding to the ground near Kagome.

"Brother, are you alright?" Al asked.

"I'm fine," Ed replied lowly, as he pulled himself up and clapped his hands together. He then placed his hand onto his right arm and transfigured his auto-mail into a small but sharp knife.

At the same time, Kagome released her arrow and sent it flying towards the rat. The rat demon attempted to jump out of the way, but wasn't quite quick enough. The sacred arrow pierced his arm and in moments was disintegrated. The rat then hissed in pain as it held its bleeding limb.

"Time to end this," Ed said as he dashed up to the rat and cut his auto-mail straight through the rat's chest. The rat became motionless as blood spilled from its chest.

Ed stood there, with his blade in the rat, as time seemed to stop. Then, the unthinkable happened. The rat grabbed Ed with it's claws and threw him with great force into a tree.

"Ed!" Kagome and Al shouted simultaneously as Al ran over to Ed.

Kagome hurriedly notched another arrow and attempted to aim for the rat, but she was stopped when the rat began charging at her,. As Al was helping Ed up to his feet, Ed saw the rat running towards Kagome.

"Kagome run!" he shouted. Kagome quickly dropped her bow and ran as fast as she could, but the rat was too fast and was easily catching up. She kept running, until her shoe caught in a small ditch and she fell.

"Kagome!" Ed and Al yelled.

But it was too late; the rat was headed straight for her. Kagome shut her eyes tight as the rat approached her, claws at the ready. Then suddenly, she was picked up and moved out of the way by someone incredibly fast.

Both Ed and Al looked to see Kagome in a silver-haired man's arms.

"Inuyasha," Kagome said as she smiled at him.

"Hey, you know better than to fight demons without me," Inuyasha replied sarcastically as he set her down.

"Kagome, are you okay?" Al asked as he and Ed ran up to them. Just as Kagome was about to answer, the rat demon began hissing at them.

"So, you're the demon I smelled earlier huh?" Inuyasha questioned himself as he pulled out and transformed the Tetsusaiga. "WIND SCAR!" he shouted as the Tetsusaiga shot off yellow waves. The attack hit the rat demon head on, but the rat somehow was unharmed.

Inuyasha and Kagome both gasped. "Impossible, how could he have survived a direct blow?" Kagome asked nervously.

"I don't know, but it can't be good," Inuyasha answered.

7


	3. Many Meetings

**A/N:** Hey everyone! Sorry this chapter is a little late. On thursday I caught a really bad cold and was sick all weekend. But thankfully I'm all better and have finihed a chapter for you. A quick note about this chapter: It is somewhat shorter than the other chapters. Originally it was part of Chapter 2, but I had to move it up or else the second chapter would have kept you reading for a very very long time. So without further ado, let the chapter begin. Again I apologize for the delay, and hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter III

Many Meetings

"What are we going to do?" Al asked nervously. No one answered him because, honestly, none of them had any idea what they were going to do.

After a few more moments of silence, Inuyasha finally cut in. "Have any suggestions?" he asked somewhat rudely. Again, no one said anything. The rat demon seemed to be getting annoyed of all the silence, and began hissing just to remind them that he was there.

"Alright! Enough is enough!" Ed said as he clapped his hands and slammed them to the ground. Alchemic sparks flew across the ground all the way towards the rat. The rat looked at the light with concern as a giant hand made of earth grabbed onto it. The rat hissed and squealed as it was unable to break free from the bind of the hand.

"What the hell did you do to it?" Inuyasha asked.

"Just something to hold it down," Ed replied, "To give us enough time to get out of here."

"What?! You mean your just gonna run away?!" Inuyasha shouted.

"What else can we do?!" Ed argued, "You already said that your sword wasn't strong enough!"

"What do you mean 'not strong enough'!" Inuyasha shot back, "My sword could cut through twenty of those rats!"

"If your sword is so powerful, then why don't you finish it off?!" Ed yelled.

"Brother stop!" Al complained, "You're being rude!"

"Same goes to you Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted, "Knock it off!"

"You're sticking up for him?!" Inuyasha exclaimed angrily. Just when Kagome was about to answer him, the rat broke free from his hold. Everyone looked in shock.

"Now look what you did!" Ed and Inuyasha both shouted at each other.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome exclaimed.

"What?!" he asked.

Kagome quickly pointed a finger up to a small insect flying up above. "It's the saimyosho!"

"So that's why the Wind Scar didn't affect it," Inuyasha said, "Naraku's involved." Before anyone could say anything else, the rat leaped at them, swinging his claws wildly. Then suddenly, a large boomerang flew and sent the rat flying from impact. Everyone looked towards the direction from which the boomerang flew and saw two figures riding on a large cat.

"Sango! Miroku!" Kagome yelled as she waved an arm in the air.

"Kagome!" Sango called out as the giant boomerang returned to her hands, "Are you guys ok?"

"We are now," Kagome replied as the large cat landed to the ground and Sango and Miroku hopped off.

"Kagome, what's going on?" Miroku asked. As Kagome explained, Al pulled Ed a few steps back.

"Brother, I think we should go," Al whispered.

"What? Why?" Ed whispered back.

"Well, how do you know that we can trust these people?" Al whispered in Ed's ear.

"They seem fine to me," Ed replied, "And it looks like Kagome knows them."

"Not just about them. Everyone," Al said, "I think we should just keep trying to use the well."

"Al, we already tried that and it didn't work," Ed reminded him, "I think it would be best to just trust them for now. Or at least until we can find a way to get back." Just as Al was about to reply, Inuyasha cut in.

"What are you two whispering about?!" Inuyasha complained, "We're not demons, so you can trust us! Alright?!" Ed and Al looked puzzled. How had he heard them when they had spoke so low and so distant from him?

Again the rat demon stood up and seemed to be worn down. Miroku then stepped forward and grasped the blue prayer beads that were wrapped around his right arm.

"Everyone get behind me," Miroku ordered harshly. Everyone did as they were told and ran behind him and ducked low.

"WIND TUNNEL!" Miroku yelled as he pulled off his beads and a giant air void began pulling in the rat. Ed and Al held tightly to the ground, neither of them had expected such a strong gale force to appear. The wind continued to pull from Miroku's hand, but the rat had quickly dug its claws into the ground and was not pulled into the void. Miroku soon began to tire from exposing his Wind Tunnel for so long, and moments later sealed it and fell to his knees.

"Miroku!" Sango yelled as she ran over to him, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Miroku answered lowly, "But the real problem is how we're going to stop this rat."

"I've got an idea," Ed said as he and Al walked in front of Miroku, "You ready Al?" Al nodded.

"Hey Kagome, who are these two?" Sango asked.

"Don't worry they're friends," Kagome replied.

"Alright Al, you know what to do," Ed told his brother.

"Right," Al said as he pulled out a small piece of chalk.

Ed then ran up to the rat and took a swing at it. The rat quickly moved back, and tried to strike Ed with its claws. Ed managed to move out of the way and then began running away from where Al was squatting. The rat again easily gave chase and followed Ed as he ran.

While Ed was distracting the rat, Al began drawing a giant circle with many lines and designs drawn throughout its interior.

"Tell me," Miroku asked, "What is that imagery you are drawing?"

"It's a transmutation circle," Al explained, "I'm going to try to seal the rat."

"Al!" Ed called out from a short distance, "Are you done yet?!"

"Ready over here brother!" Al shouted back. Ed continued running with the rat closely behind him. Ed ran over the surface of the large circle, and skidded to the ground directly next to Al. The rat also ran over the circle but stopped right in the middle of it.

"Now!" Ed and Al both shouted as they flung their hands to the ground.

Seconds later, an enormous blue light surrounded the rat. The rat instantly tried to run away, but the moment it tried to move, a strange force seemed to hold him to the circle. Soon the blue light transformed into a dark purple array. Wind began blowing around the circle, and pulling in dirt and stones from the ground.

"Everyone move back!" Ed shouted as he and Al stood up and began running away from the rat. Everyone did as they were told and ran into a nearby thicket. They all watched as the rat squealed and struggled but was unable to move.

Moments later, the rat was pulled into the grounded circle and vanished from sight. After the rat was gone from view, the wind and the circle faded away. Everyone emerged from the trees and walked up to where the rat and the circle had been.

"Wh-what did you do?" Sango asked shakily, "I've never seen anyone slay a demon so painfully."

"Neither have I," Miroku added, "With the exception of Naraku." Miroku's comment sent many thoughts throughout the group. What if the boys were working for Naraku? Or what if they were demons in disguise?

"Uh, why are you all staring at us like that?" Ed inquired as he noticed the same expressions on everyone's faces.

Kagome quickly shook off her stare. "Oh sorry, no reason," she answered, "We were just curious about the death of the rat demon that's all."

"Oh," Ed replied, "Where we're from, the use alchemy is known by almost everyone. And a lot of people use it too."

"Alke...what?" Inuyasha scratched his head. Ed and Al now were the one's sending blank stares at them.

"You mean, you don't know what alchemy is?" Al asked. Everyone but Kagome shook their heads. Ed moved his attention towards her, apparently noticing her lack of head shaking.

"I know what alchemy is!" Kagome exclaimed, "It's the science of breaking down substances, and transfiguring them into something else! Right?!"

"Yeah," Ed replied.

"Wait a minute," Inuyasha interrupted, "Kagome, how do you know what this 'alkemi' is? Do they have it in your world?"

"No," Kagome answered, "I was tested on it in school."

"Really?!" Al exclaimed, "And how did you do on the test?"

"I failed," Kagome sighed, "I couldn't remember any of it. Of course I remember it now! It figures…" Ed and Al gave her reassuring smiles. Miroku then stepped forward and said, "Forgive me, but we were never properly introduced. My name is Miroku."

"And my name is Sango," she added as Kirara hopped onto her shoulder, "And this is Kirara."

"I'm Edward Elric," Ed said, "And this is my younger brother Alphonse."

"Younger brother?" Sango asked, "But shouldn't it be the other way around?" After Sango made this comment, Ed lowered his head and mumbled something under his breath.

"I don't think he was mistaken Sango," Miroku whispered over to her, as Al patted Ed's shoulders.

"I hate to break up the introductions, but we need to get going," Inuyasha again interrupted.

"Inuyasha's right," Kagome added, "The Feudal Era becomes more dangerous at night." Ed and Al nodded their heads, and soon they began walking along the dirt path once again.


	4. Explanations and Complications

**A/N: **Hello people!!! Well, since my last chapter was a couple days late, I decided to have the next chapter up a day early, just for you! Well, like always plz read and review, and enjoy the next chapter!

Chapter IV

Explanations and Complications

"Is that the village?" Ed asked as he stopped to overlook a small set of huts from atop a hill.

"Yes, it is," Miroku answered, stopping beside him, "And once we arrive, Kaede can answer all of your questions." Ed nodded his head and then he and Miroku caught up to the others.

"Hey Miroku," Sango whispered as he walked up next to her, "Do really think that Kaede will know how to send them back to their time?"

"Honestly, I don't know," Miroku whispered back, "Kagome said that they already tried to use the well, but it didn't work. So, they may have to find another accessible time stream, which isn't likely to be found easily, if at all."

"Well, we can't be sure of anything until Kaede confirms it," Sango replied, noticing that Ed seemed to be listening.

After traveling for a little while longer, they finally reached the village. As everyone walked to where Kaede's hut sat, they saw a small boy with a big fluffy tail run out of it.

"Kagome!" the little boy shouted with glee as he jumped into her arms, "You're ok!"

As the reunion was occurring, Ed and Al's attentions were drawn to something else. They noticed that almost every single villager was staring at them. They also heard them whispering things like, 'Look at what they're wearing', 'Are they demons?', 'What business do they have here?', and 'What's with the guy in the armor?'

"Uh...nothing to see here folks," Ed persuaded, but that only caused more people to stare. Ed sighed in defeat.

"Hey Kagome, who are they?" the boy asked as he pointed his finger at Ed and Al. Ed and Al turned back around after hearing their names being mentioned.

Ed gasped. "Kaede, I have so much I need to ask you," he said. The boy stared at them blankly.

"I'm not Kaede," he replied, "Do I look like an old priestess to you?"

"Uh, no, I guess not," Ed said, "Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it," he answered, "Just call me Shippo!"

"So, Shippo, can you tell us where Kaede is?" Al asked. Just as Shippo was about to answer, an old woman came walking out of the hut.

"Did someone call my name?" she asked.

"Um…I did," Ed replied quietly.

"Aye, and what did ye want?" Kaede inquired. Ed remained silent, and seemed a bit flustered.

"They need some advice," Kagome answered for him, "On how to get back to their time." Kaede stared at them, wide eyed. Now she seemed to understand.

"I see," she replied, "Well, then let us go inside. It seems we have a lot to talk about." Everyone slowly followed her into the hut. Once they were inside, everyone took a seat on the floor as Kaede started a small fire.

"Alright," Kaede started, "to begin with, what are ye names?"

"My name is Edward," he replied seeming melancholy, "And that's Alphonse."

Kaede nodded her head. "And, what happened before ye fell into the well?"

"We were running away from a Lieutenant Colonel named Frank Archer, in Ishbal," Al explained.

"Hmm…Ishbal?" Kaede questioned, "I've never heard of that place before. Have ye Kagome?" Kagome shook her head. "Tell me what happened next," Kaede said.

"We found an underground passage beneath an old temple," Ed continued, "At the end of the passage, we found the well."

"And how is it that ye managed to fall in?" Kaede asked.

"Well, when I leaned over the rim of well, my watch began to pull itself towards the bottom," Ed explained as he held up his watch, "Finally it detached itself and when I hopped down to get it, we were sent here." After Ed finished, Kaede said nothing. She just remained silent with her eyes closed, apparently deep in thought.

"And ye did try to get back through the well, yes?" Kaede questioned, her eyes remaining shut.

"Yeah, but it didn't work," Al answered. Because of Kaede's question, Ed and Al already knew what she was going to say next.

"Unfortunately, I don't know how to send ye back home," she said. Ed and Al lowered their heads. "I am truly sorry," she said. Ed and Al remained silent, with their heads hung over.

"Brother," Al said quietly, "What are we going to do now?" Ed didn't reply.

"You're going to travel with us!" Kagome said breaking the cold silence. This outburst surprised everyone.

"Kagome! What are you thinking!?" Inuyasha complained, "Have you forgotten! We have to go after Naraku!"

"I know that!" Kagome shouted back at him, "Remember when we were fighting the rat demon, and the saimyosho showed up. That proves that Naraku may have been the one who brought them here!"

"If what ye say is true," Kaede cut in, "Then it would be best if they did accompany ye."

"No, it's okay," Al piped in, "We wouldn't want to be a bother."

"Alphonse, you and your brother are not a bother," Miroku replied, "We'd be more than happy to help you. Right Inuyasha?" Miroku passed a glance over to him.

Inuyasha just crossed his arms, "Whatever."

"Thanks you guys," Ed said.

"Um…I hope I don't sound noisy, but what's your world like?" Sango asked.

"Well, I guess I should start with the most obvious," Ed replied, "Where we're from there aren't demons. But there are many alchemists, like me and Al."

"And alchemy is that attack you used to defeat the rat demon, yes?" Miroku asked.

"Yup," Ed said, "The science of breaking things down and transfiguring them into something else. In other words, Equivalent Exchange."

"Wait, so you mean that if you give something of equivalent value you can gain whatever you want?" Inuyasha asked, now seeming to be interested in the conversation.

"Pretty much," Ed replied, "But if you don't give up something of equal value….."

"What will happen?" Kagome asked.

"The transmutation will backfire, and well…." Ed trailed off again. Ed then lifted up his jacket sleeve to reveal his auto-mail. Everyone gasped. "And, well, this could happen."

"What transmutation did you fail?" Shippo asked shakily. Ed and Al looked at each other.

"Bringing our mother back to life," Al answered. Again, everyone gasped.

"I lost an arm and a leg, and Al lost his body," Ed said lowly.

"Your brother didn't lose his body though," Sango pointed out. Ed looked at Al, and then Al nodded his head. Al then removed his helmet to reveal the truth about his appearance. This shocked everyone, even Inuyasha.

"How can he be alive if he has no body?" Miroku asked.

"See this," Ed pointed inside his brother's armor. Everyone gathered around and looked at what Ed was pointing at. Inside Al's armor was a symbol drawn in blood. "It's a blood seal," Ed finished, "It's what attaches his soul to the armor."

"And this all happened because you failed a transmutation?" Kaede questioned. Ed and Al slowly nodded their heads.

"B-b-but why didn't your transmutation work?" Shippo asked shakily.

"There's nothing we could give up in exchange for her soul," Al explained.

"How did your mother die?" Miroku asked.

"Depression," Ed said, gritting his teeth, "After our Dad just got up and left." After his answer, no one wanted to ask them anymore questions.

"So," Ed said happily, "Enough about us! What about you guys?"

"What about us?!" Inuyasha asked angrily.

"Well, what's your life story?" Al asked both he and Ed leaving the past comment.

"Well, I guess the best place to start would be, 50 years ago," Miroku began, "When-" Miroku stopped mid sentence, acting as if he said something he wasn't supposed to. Everyone was silent again, not knowing who should tell it, or where to start. The silence confused Ed and Al.

"Did we say something wrong?" Ed asked.

Kagome glanced over at Inuyasha. He had his head hung low, and everyone knew exactly why. "Inuyasha," Kagome said lowly.

"I'm going for a walk," Inuyasha replied and left the hut without speaking another word.

"Inuyasha wait!" Kagome called as she walked out after him. Everyone watched as the two of them left.

"What's wrong with Inuyasha and Kagome?" Al asked.

"Perhaps it would be better for me to explain by finishing my earlier statement," Miroku suggested. Ed and Al nodded their heads. "Well, this all started about 50 years ago," Miroku repeated, "When Inuyasha was in love with Kikyo." Ed and Al both shared surprised expressions. This defiantly explained why Inuyasha and Kagome had left.

"So, who is Kikyo exactly?" Ed asked.

"She was my older sister," Kaede answered as she threw another log into the fire.

"Was?" Al questioned.

"She was a powerful priestess," Sango added, "And that's why she was entrusted by demon slayers like me, to protect and purify the Sacred Jewel."

"The Sacred Jewel?" Ed and Al asked.

"It's a powerful stone that can grant any wish and can be used as a source of power for demons," Shippo piped in.

"Sounds a lot like the Philosopher's Stone," Ed said looking at Al, "That's what we've been searching for in order to restore our bodies back to normal."

"I see," Miroku replied, "They are similar in their sense of power."

"To continue," Kaede started again, "Inuyasha was after the Sacred Jewel. That's how he met my sister. They soon fell in love, but no later than to be deceived by Naraku."

"Naraku?" Ed questioned.

Kaede nodded and continued. "On the day of Kikyo's death, Inuyasha had planned to meet her and use the Sacred Jewel to become human for her, since as you know he is a half-demon."

"You mean he's a demon?!" Ed and Al exclaimed.

"Ye mean ye didn't know?" Kaede questioned. Ed and Al shook their heads.

"Well, that would explain how he heard us before," Ed said to Al.

"Yup! Inuyasha's a dog demon, so he has super good hearing," Shippo added, "And I'm a demon too!"

"You are?!" Al said surprised.

"Yup, I'm a-," Shippo began to answer, but was interrupted by Ed who made a guess.

"A raccoon demon?" Ed asked as he gently picked Shippo up by the tail.

"No!" Shippo shouted as he leaped out of Ed's arms, "I'm a fox!"

"Yes, and Kirara is a demon as well," Sango added, petting the cat as she mewed at being mentioned. Kaede then cleared her throat loudly.

"Anyways, as I was saying," she started again. "Now where was I…..ah yes, on the day Kikyo and Inuyasha were to meet, Naraku disguised himself as Inuyasha and killed Kikyo. He also took the form of Kikyo and attempted to kill Inuyasha. Angered by her betrayal, Inuyasha stole the Sacred Jewel only to be stopped by Kikyo herself. She used the last of her strength to seal him to the Sacred Tree. Soon after he was sealed, my sister passed on and we burned the jewel with her body."

"50 years later, Kagome came through the well as you did today. She released Inuyasha from his seal soon after arriving. He mistook her for Kikyo, as did I the first time I saw her. She is indeed the reincarnation of Kikyo, and thus being, the jewel was inside her. It was later removed by an attack of a demon called Mistress Centipede."

"Soon after it was removed, it was accidentally shattered into many shards and thrown all over the place," Sango picked up where Kaede had left off, "We've been trying to gather all of the pieces before Naraku does."

"So, what connection with Naraku do you have?" Al asked.

"He killed everyone in my demon-slayer village, only leaving me and my brother Kohaku," Sango answered, dreading this memory of her past, "But he took Kohaku from me and is now using him as his puppet with a sacred jewel shard."

"That's so cruel," Al said sadly. Miroku noticed Sango's eyes getting watery, so he put his arm around her and continued the explanations.

"As for me, Naraku cursed my grandfather with a Wind Tunnel in his right hand that would grow every year and eventually consume him," Miroku said, "The Wind Tunnel has already consumed my grandfather and my father, so now it is my turn to carry the curse until we destroy Naraku."

"You've all been affected by Naraku so much," Al replied.

"We have, and that is why we will never give up until he's dead," Miroku said finishing the discussions.

"So, why does Inuyasha want the Jewel now?" Ed asked, "What use does he have for it?"

"He wants to use it to become a full demon," Kaede answered. Ed and Al looked like they wanted a better explanation than that.

"You see, because Inuyasha is half human and half demon, neither race will accept him," Miroku further explained, "He has been treated that way all of his life. And that is why Kagome means so much to him. Because she was the first person to accept him for what he is."

"But what about Kikyo?" Al inquired, "Did she not accept his half demon state?"

"Well, she never commented on him being a half demon," Kaede said, "But she did wish him to be human, so that she in return would no longer be bound to the Sacred Jewel."

"That seems kinda selfish when you put it like that," Shippo replied.

"Yes, I suppose you're right," Miroku agreed.

"DEMONS!" a villager shouted as he ran and threw open the bamboo curtain of Kaede's hut.

"Kensuke! What's going on?!" Kaede asked worriedly.

"Lady Kaede, there are large bird demons attacking the village!" he shouted.

Everyone gasped slightly and ran outside. Sure enough, huge vulture looking demons were attacking the village.

"Lady Kaede, what should we do?" Kensuke asked.

"We will take care of them, just tell the villagers to take cover for now," she replied.

Kensuke nodded and ran to warn the villagers. As the bird demons quickly approached, everyone prepared for the battle ahead.


End file.
